DEVELOPMENT
On January 6, 1873, the Minnesota Academy of Natural Sciences was formally organized under the leadership of Professor Newton W. Winchell of the Department of Geology at the University of Minnesota. The Academy flourished and enjoyed contacts with similar organizations in many parts of the world for many years. After Professor Winchell's death in 1914, activities of the Academy declined until it was formally dissolved February 12, 1929. During its 40 year existence, the Academy featured articles in an irregularly published Journal called The Bulletin of the Minnesota Academy of Science. These Bulletins, ending in 1914, are on file at the University of Minnesota Library.

Almost 14 years passed before the rebirth of the Academy. During these years, a new group of scientists, unfamiliar or unaware of the old "Academy", felt the need for such an organization. Several informal meetings were held for discussion of plans to this effect and scientists in outlying colleges and institutions were contacted. The project was brought to a head as the result of an address on "The Organization of Science" delivered by Dr. R.B. Harvey, in the Spring of 1932, before a group of science teachers from Minneapolis high schools. The suggestion that there be an Academy of statewide scope was accepted enthusiastically. Dr. Harvey was asked to present the question at the fall meeting of the Minnesota Educational Association. This was done at a special luncheon held October 28, 1932. Before adjourning, a representative committee of 55 members and officers was chosen to draft a constitution and by-laws to launch the new organization.

This general committee met on November 18, 1932 within a few days of the 60th anniversary of the first organizational meeting called by Professor Winchell. Many attended, including most of the out-of-town members. The enthusiasm manifested was encouraging for the success of the organization. After full discussion, this committee adopted the constitution and by-laws, elected the first Council and instructed the Council and Officers to arrange a program and call the first Annual Meeting of the Minnesota Academy of Science. The first meeting was held in the Zoology Building at the University of Minnesota on Saturday, April 13, 1933, and featured a very full program. Attendance at the session demonstrated widespread interest in the new organization.

A summer meeting was held on July 15, 1933, on the farm of Dr. R.B. Harvey near Stillwater, Minnesota. At this meeting, 45 active and 5 associate members were inducted into the Academy. Following a short business meeting, four papers were presented to the group. After a picnic lunch the members were conducted on tours to view ancient Indian caves, Indian burial grounds which had been excavated by members of the Academy, and Indian paintings on the bluffs of the St. Croix River.

The Mayo Clinic and the Rochester Chamber of Commerce invited the Academy to hold the second Annual Meeting in Rochester, in the spring of 1934. At this meeting a membership of 127 was reported. The Minnesota Academy of Science was incorporated as a Minnesota Corporation on October 26, 1937. The Academy is affiliated with the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Since 1936 one of the most significant activities of the Minnesota Academy of Science has been sponsoring the program of the Junior Academy of Science for high school students. Thus, even before Sputnik, Minnesota, through the Academy, took leadership in emphasizing science and mathematics in the high school curriculum. Since 1950, the Academy, in cooperation with other groups, has sponsored eight Regional Science Fairs and the Junior Academy State Science & Engineering Fair. Until 1968, the State Science & Engineering Fair was held jointly with the Annual Spring Meeting of the Senior Academy. Science Fairs are exhibits of science projects developed and displayed by high school students. They focus attention on the physical, life, and social sciences, as well as mathematics and engineering. These Fairs provide opportunities for students with imagination and initiative to organize their ideas and handiwork into science project presentations.

In 1940, the Minnesota Academy of Science was instrumental in establishing The Cedar Creek Natural History Area (CCNHA) through the initial purchase of a tract of 500 acres of land. The Academy transferred title of the land to the University of Minnesota as a gift. When further funds became available to the Minnesota Academy of Science and the University of Minnesota from the Fleischmann Foundation, further land was acquired and a laboratory was constructed on site. Through agreements with the Minnesota Academy of Science, the University of Minnesota maintains the CCNHA under the administration of the Graduate School Dean, who appoints a Director and an Associate Director. The University agreed to keep and preserve the CCNHA lands in their natural condition and administer the area to encourage its wise use for scientific and educational purposes. Access for such use by qualified and suitable persons is not limited to persons having an official connection with the University of Minnesota. (See: History of the Cedar Creek Natural History Area, A.C. Hodson: University of Minnesota Field Biology Program Occasional Papers, Number 2, 1985)

The November 1996 edition of FRONTIERS, a newsletter of the National Science Foundation, indicated that the CCNHA is serving a broad population of scientists. The article entitled: "Biodiversity: A Productive Way To Grow", summarizes the work of a team of researchers led by David Tilman, Ecologist at the University of Minnesota. The CCNHA in Minnesota is one of the National Science Foundation's Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) sites. The Minnesota Academy of Science can take great pride in the establishment of the CCNHA.

PROGRAMS
Minnesota Academy of Science sponsored programs for students continue to grow in number and quality. From the annual science exhibits of members of the Junior Academy in 1938 and the first regional fair in 1950, science fair programs have expanded to include all nine regions of the state by 1998. More than four thousand student exhibitors participate annually. Student winners at the regional level are invited to participate in competition at the Annual Minnesota Academy of Science State Fair. The 1998 MAS State Fair, held in Rochester Minnesota, had a total attendance in excess of 1200, including 410 student presenters, parents, teachers, mentors, judges and other interested parties. The top student winners at the State and Regional Fairs go on to further competition at the International Science and Engineering Fair.

In 1968, the Minnesota Academy of Science sponsored the first Tri-State (Minnesota, North Dakota & South Dakota) Junior Science and Humanities Symposium in conjunction with the U.S. Army. This has become an annual event at which high school students present their science research results to other students, teachers, and judges. The winning student receives an opportunity to compete at the National Junior Science and Humanities Symposium. Since the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Air Force became joint sponsors in 1995, the regional winner receives a $4000 scholarship and a chance to compete for an additional $16,000 scholarship at the National Symposium.

In addition, the Winchell Undergraduate Research Symposium has been held at the Annual Meeting of the Minnesota Academy of Science since 1967. Other middle school and high school science programs are also offered which include the Minnesota Science Bowl (established in 1994 as part of the Department of Energy National Science Bowl) and the Minnesota Science Olympiad (established in 1985 but first included as an Academy program in 1995).

The Academy also disseminates pertinent and timely information through its publications. The Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science publishes original research, scholarly papers and the abstracts from the Winchell Undergraduate Research Symposium and Annual Meeting Symposia. Members are informed of current happenings through the Minnesota Academy of Science Newsletter.

MEMBERSHIP
The Minnesota Academy of Science members include college and secondary school teachers; scientists and engineers from universities, industry, government and professional organizations; physicians; college students and other interested people. The science faculties of 20 Minnesota colleges and universities are now represented in the membership. While membership has decreased from over 800 in the 1970s to approximately 300 in the 1990s, volunteer participation has greatly increased.

STAFF
With the growth in membership and expansion of interests, the officers and committees of the Academy found it necessary several years ago to seek a full-time secretary to handle the growing burden of administration and coordination. This would insure continuity as well as uniformity of effort in the organization, not only in enlarging the scope of its program, but also in exercising greater supervision. A generous grant from the Louis W. and Maud Hill Family Foundation provided funds to establish the office of the Executive Secretary. On August 20, 1956, the office was established in the Science Museum of the St. Paul Institute. Mr. Mason R. Boudrye, a member of the Biology faculty at Moorhead State Teachers' College, was appointed by the Board of Directors to fill this position. Since then, the office of the Academy has moved many times. The office was located North Star Research and Development Institute in Minneapolis until December 1976 when it moved to the Pioneer Building in St. Paul where it remained until the move to its current location in the Hamm Building in St. Paul in the spring of 1995.

In 1962, a further grant from the Louis W. and Maud Hill Family Foundation was obtained to establish the position of Field Secretary. The primary function of this position was coordination of activities of the Junior Academy that involved secondary level students and teachers. Richard Myshak was selected for this position and remained with the Academy until 1964 when John Crocker succeeded him.

In 1965, Walter Larson from St. Cloud State University succeeded Mason Boudrye. Both Larson and Crocker left the employment of the Academy in August 1967. M.I. (Buzz) Harrigan succeeded Larson and also assumed the responsibilities of the departing Crocker in the new position of Executive Director.

In 1983, the Executive Director position became part-time. In 1987, Buzz Harrigan retired and Judy Harrigan helped carry the administrative activity. In 1990, the Executive Board of Directors of the Academy under the leadership of Chairperson Dr. Gary Goken hired Susan Kafka as the new Executive Director. The Executive Board and the Executive Director began to change the culture of the MAS Board to create a governing board. Until this time, the position of Executive Director (the resultant position from combining the functions of Executive Secretary and Field Secretary) operated in a governance mode and the Executive Board of Directors acted as an advisory body. A task force working in 1992 presented the Board with an outline of changes in organizational structure needed, amended language for the Charter Document and a rewritten set of By-laws to direct these adjustments. The membership approved the recommendations at the April 25, 1992 Annual Meeting. A follow-up "fine tuning" of the language of the By-laws was approved by membership vote at the April 27, 1996 Annual Meeting. These changes are the foundation on which the Minnesota Academy of Science now stands and operates.

The leadership of the Academy's part-time Executive Director, Ms. Susan Kafka, was very instrumental in bringing a smooth transition. She was assisted by the Academy's other part-time office staff person, Ms. Sue Zenk, the Assistant Executive Director, in bringing about the changes.

Past presidents have been drawn from industry, government and academia. (List will be included in the endnote.)

SCOPE
Each year since 1968, 12,000 to 15,000 people were reached directly and many thousands more reached indirectly through one or more of the Academy's programs or services. The Academy is dedicated to the advancement of research, education and understanding of science. Its goal is to be of service to an increasing number of Minnesotans with each succeeding year.

In the fall of 1998, the Academy Executive Board and staff will spend a two day retreat for a strategic study of the Minnesota Academy of Science. This exercise will began a process to assure that the Academy will enter the new Millennium with a clear view of its place in the service of science and technological education for Minnesotans.

In 1998, the Minnesota Academy of Science has evolved to become the hub of a communication network to all points in the State of Minnesota and beyond. This is consistent with the current Mission Statement of the Academy: "The Minnesota Academy of Science strives to foster a state environment for students and practitioners of science and technology to propagate and disseminate scientific knowledge for societal benefit." The Academy uses traditional modes of communications, such as telephone and surface mail, to reach its constituents. In addition, the Academy has a Web Site on the Internet, an E-mail address and a Fax Line to assist in communications.